Russian Reindeer Starving To Death

Briefly

December 24, 1996

MOSCOW — It has been a rough Christmas season for Russia's reindeer. An estimated 10,000 reindeer have died of starvation in the Chukotka peninsula in the far northeast in recent weeks and the toll could reach 30,000, Russian officials said. A thick ice crust has formed over many pastures, making it impossible for the reindeer to graze.